Resolution
by Chameleon Eyes
Summary: <html><head></head>AU: The life Zelda led was not what it seemed. Backstabbers, betrayers, sinners, and snobs, she can't handle her so-called friends anymore. Her parents invest millions into her life. The man she's dating isn't as handsome as she thought he was. When a down-to-earth underdog enters the scene, the clock counts down until love bounds the two into a New Year's they'll never forget. LxZ</html>
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Special thanks to tswift1fan for adding this to her Legend of Zelda Modern AU's community!**

* * *

><p><strong>Resolution<strong>

_by Chameleon Eyes_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter One<span>**

She hated her life.

She attended the extravagant parties full of glitz and glamour only the rich could have. She danced like a doll, controlled by the men she waltzed with. She gossiped with her presumptuous friends, smiled at the jokes they told, although she wasn't laughing inside. Everything looked beautiful on the outside. _Everyone_ looked beautiful on the outside with their fabricated facades they hid behind. But she knew their darkest secrets, the betrayed, the betrayers, the sins, and the sinners. She knew everything. Above all, she could see past their beautiful exteriors, and she saw what they truly were—_hideous. _

With their selfishness and the greed that demanded more and more, she couldn't stand being in the same room with these monsters. Backstabbers remained friendly to the ones they despise. Cheaters subtly eyed each other across the room while dancing with their arranged partners. Gossip and drama circulated everywhere, and at the source, the monsters grinned, living off the entertainment of sadism.

These people would readily give up the small values they held dear, their friendships and family, to acquire more wealth, to get what they wanted in the end. She had experienced their betrayal while she was a beginner, but now no longer a novice, she disappointed herself when she learned their tricks and manners. It shamed her that she stooped as low to the crowd she socialized with. She blended in with them, and it disgusted her.

As she watched the partygoers clink glasses and chatter beneath the chandelier's light, Zelda's revelation came as crystal clear as the polished glasses. She would show her true colours. No more hiding behind another mask to fit in with the rest. She would break free of the expectations they had on her, and she would surprise everyone—including her parents. How she hated their control over her life.

"Zelda, have another glass of wine." Her friend's voice broke her train of thought.

She glanced towards Amelia. Tall, tanned, and raven-haired, Amelia was a contrast against Zelda's pale appearance. Their personalities were also opposites and clashed against each other constantly. Tonight they decided to be friends instead of enemies.

An automatic smile curled on Zelda's lips. "Oh, no. I really shouldn't."

Amelia frowned, confused. Zelda never passed for a glass of any alcoholic beverage. "C'mon. It's _Romanee __Mille neuf-cent, quatre-vingt cinq Conti. _The best the restaurant has to offer. And on the house, too." She winked, speaking flawless French.

Zelda's smile brightened and she felt it tug on her weary cheeks. Amelia probably seduced a bartender into giving out the best wine for free. Although rich, she could be extremely cheap. "I'm good for the night. In fact, I'm going to call it a night."

"What?" Amelia's bigmouth gaped wider. "It's only nine!"

Her exaggerated shock and sadness annoyed Zelda. Amelia wouldn't miss her if she left. Without her there, she would capture the attention of more men.

She forced a smile. She hated being impolite, even to people who deserved rudeness for being naturally rude and obnoxiously snobbish. "Really, I need to go. I've a test coming up that I need to study for."

"Test? That test is weeks away. It can wait." Her voice was extremely enthusiastic.

Zelda resisted the urge to clamp her hands over her ears. God that voice was fake! "I need to score perfect and starting early helps," she responded.

"Oh, Zelda! Always the perfectionist. Alright, I'll let you go this night. Tell your parents I said hello!" She said cheerily. She left the table they were sitting at and flocked to a group of men sitting near the bar.

Zelda scoffed. Amelia and her were only friends because their fathers were once in a partnership for a big car business. They sold it for billions once their wives had daughters and the two men moved onto becoming the CEOs of independent corporations. She remembered all the spats Amelia and her had over toys, dresses, makeup and eventually boys. Most of their fights were started by Amelia, and Zelda disliked the bossy girl, and she wondered if she would be free of her company forever.

She entertained the thought as she walked towards the parking garage. The December rain bounced off her thousand dollar trench jacket with the musical pitter patter she always loved. The upcoming month had always been her favourite month of the year. A new day, a new month, a new year, a new resolution. And she never had one as big before. They were always simple: donate to a charity each month, find a boyfriend approved by parents, have straight As, get accepted into Hyrule University. All of them were accomplished—with the help of money, of course.

This resolution, however, was something different and new that wouldn't be used to impress anyone but herself. Money couldn't assist her like it did in all the other accomplishments she had done. Her parents had the money and name to attract the prestigious Hyrule University, and their power and influence is what persuaded them to accept her into their Law School. Her riches brought the handsome Damien Ganondorf knocking on her door for the first date of many. She donated to cancer foundations, handicapped foundations, orphanages across the world with the money her parents lent her. All of it was to please them, her friends, the society she was born into. She kept up with the appearances, made her parents happy and proud, made women envious, made men admire her. She had moulded herself into something else she was not, and she wanted to become the person she was meant to be.

She needed a change.

Yes, she would devise a plan to make herself more independent. Her parents' fame and fortune wouldn't affect her anymore, and she would try to stop fulfilling their wishes and wants. She would stop relying on their money and lead a simple, normal life. She would make new friends to replace the backstabbing ones she knew all her life.

She unlocked her car door and drove onto the busy street, smiling.

It had been a long time since she last found herself.

**...**

"I'm Hunter," he said, shaking the blonde's hand mockingly, peering back at his friends. They were just as surprised as he was. People rarely approached a group of strangers unless it was to ask where the washroom was.

"Lincoln? What kind of name is that?" Hunter sneered, and his group of friends snorted behind him.

Link sighed. People always snickered at his unusual name when he introduced himself. And apparently they didn't listen to the second sentence he always added.

"But you can call me Link," he repeated, offering a generous smile.

One of the girls blushed. Hunter grew more irritated. The blushing girl was his girlfriend, and he was very possessive of her.

"Link?" He scoffed. "That's not an upgrade from Lincoln. Still weird," he laughed.

Link shook his head and gathered his books, laptops and notebooks. He thought this group of students were friendly, and so he approached them, plopped down his books and greeted them as if they were old friends. It seemed that some people didn't mature from their high school days, sticking to bullying as a form of impressing people.

How he hated high school. The kids—and some teachers—disliked him for his unusual upbringing, appearance and behaviour. He was homeschooled until grade nine, so his social skills were inept. He lived in Kokiri Forest, a trailer park in the middle of nowhere that inhabited tree huggers and hippies, so of course people presumed he was an environmental hobo. In fact, he _did _dress like a hobo in high school with his sustainable cotton clothes, which were loose and baggy, and he never got a good hair cut until the age of eighteen.

Because he was small, scrawny, awkward and different, many bullies picked on him. He suffered their beatings for two years before he experiences a freak growth spurt. When he became six foot four at the age of sixteen, no one dared to punch him. He was glad that he surprised them all with his brilliant mind, ugly duckling syndrome, and brave determination. He didn't let their taunts get in his way of scholarships!

And he wouldn't let Hunter and his cronies get to him now. With dignity, he walked away from the group of laughing hyenas and settled in at a small desk in a dark corner.

He never felt like he fit in, no matter what crowd he was with. In Kokiri Forest, he never participated in meditating, protests, marches, and parties the Kokiri Organization threw. Sometimes he allowed himself a processed candy, and threw the wrapper on the ground! The father who adopted him, the great environmentalist Alexander Deku, would've thrown a fit if he knew how much water and electricity he wasted in his lifetime. But he made him proud by working hard in school. He scored the highest marks in the world, and was shipped off to the most prestigious school in the country: Hyrule University.

The students there weren't much of a change from the elite private school he went to in his youth. When he reached his high school years, he attended the posh land of Termina abroad, his expenses funded by Skyloft Academy. The rich snobby kids made fun of him, bullied him, teased him for his brilliance, made him an outsider.

He sighed. University would be like that terrible experience all over again. It was as if his past and present collided, battled, _struggled_. The past wouldn't let him transform. It grabbed hold of the person he wanted to be, pinned him, reminded everyone—himself included—who he was, why he was different. His old self was the outsider, the very essence which caused the hurtful memories, the very thing that repelled people. He wanted to forget it all, to move on, to begin anew and become the man he envisioned.

But no one truly forgets.

The memories forced him to remember, to live with his past. If only he could have peace of mind, and then his present and former selves would finally be at peace.

_Beep. Beep. _

He grabbed his phone, excited. He had given out his number to a few acquaintances at the beginning of the school year. With the hopeful yearning of finally befriending someone his own age, he exchanged phone numbers with students at the Meet & Greet event. Too afraid to call, he waited in anticipation for others to call him, but they never did. His heart sank when he saw it was only his schedule reminding him that study session was over.

"Another hour wasted," he said to himself, looking over the notes he had written from his textbook. Thirty pages had been created with minimum effort. It would've been fifty if his thoughts weren't all over the place tonight. With a sigh, he gathered his books, shut down his laptop, and stuffed everything into his bag. Barely anyone was in the library at nine o'clock on a Friday night except for the overachievers, the Wi-Fi thieves, and the librarian. He smiled. What he would do to attend a party on any given day.

"Good-bye, Link!" Telma called as he walked pass the check-out counter.

He turned and grinned back, "See you later…most likely tomorrow night!"

She laughed heartedly. "Get yourself a girlfriend, Link, and then you _won't _have time for studying."

He continued walking backwards to the exit, still in a semi-conversation with her. "The chance of that happening is one in a billion."

Telma shouted robustly, "A handsome young man like you can get _any _girl. The chances are one hundred percent." She nodded curtly, returning to her work.

For a librarian, she was very loud, energetic, and talkative. Link liked that part of her as well as her kind heart in keeping the library's open hours longer than usual.

"I'll do it for the world's greatest lawyer," she had said when she noticed he was the library's regular. "You keep studying. And when you become the Chief Justice, don't forget to credit me," she winked.

Her kindness made him feel sad and happy at once. No one _ever_ did anything for Link Deku, future lawyer, present genius, and virtually unknown student. Maybe it was because she noticed him; maybe it was her rare act of kindness that summoned the emotional part he hid from years of torment. Whatever it was, he was grateful, happy and sad all at once. It felt good to be acknowledged. It felt sad to be grateful over a small act of kindness.

His loneliness was getting the better of him.

A hard shoulder rammed into him, forcing him to cry out in shock.

He looked down to see a brunette deep in thought. She didn't even look up at him; instead, she muttered a _sorry _and walked past him as if he were a ghost.

Flabbergasted, he stared after her retreating figure. Her form and voice were familiar to him. Where had he seen her before?

"Sorry, ma'am, but the library's closed," Telma said.

"Is it?" she asked. "My apologies. I heard rumours that library hours were extended."

"They're true. Hours run depending on Lincoln Deku."

Link couldn't help but smile at her mentioning him.

"Who?" the brunette asked.

"The world's best lawyer. If you want, I could hook you up with him."

There was an awkward silence. He didn't want Telma to point in his direction, so he took his leave. Before he left the tall doors, he heard her speak, confusion written in her sweet voice: "Oh, no thanks. I don't think I need a lawyer."

"That's too bad," Telma said sadly. "He's a wonderful man. And underrated."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The library was closed! And the librarian rambled to her aimlessly about a man she never met. And that strange man had bumped into her. Of course it _was _her fault, but it takes two people to cause an accident, so it was his fault too!

As she walked back to her car, her suppressed anger boiled out of her. She was angry at everything and everyone, even that stranger she bumped into, the loquacious librarian, the lawyer she spoke of—but most of all, deep down inside, she was angry at herself.

_I hate my life. I hate my life. I hate my life, _she chanted until she reached her sleek car. She stared at her reflection in the tinted window. Heart-shaped face, big blue eyes, curved lips, and a small nose, she was considered beautiful among many. But why didn't she feel beautiful? Why did she feel so ugly?

_They broke you. You let them break you. You aren't yourself anymore. _

She ripped open the door.

_I'll piece my life back together, and fix it once and for all. _

.

She arrived home exhausted and bored. It was a mistake to stop by that bar took a toll on the little sanity she had left. She supposed she did it to think things through. She was always bad at driving, and the thoughts she had in her car were interrupted by the flashing traffic signs. Once she entered the noisy and crowded bar, her instincts directed her into a quiet corner. It wasn't much of an improvement from the restaurant and bar she and Amelia were earlier that day. As usual, men walked up to her, asked if she wanted a drink in the twinkling Christmas lights of the windows, and she politely declined. Why couldn't she ever be alone? Why must people bug her like pests? After eight different men approached her, she took her bag, left a bill, and walked out the door with her spirits low and her energy drained. It was always draining being with people, and as a homebody, her only comfort was her penthouse.

She marched through the large doors, grateful that the elevator wasn't broken because her apartment was at the top in an eighty story building, and grateful of the familiar scenery and environment. With an entrance to a wide glistening lobby and friendly workers, beautiful shiny halls with framed masterpieces, and a long elevator's ride up, she plopped down on her leather couch, finally home after a boring day's adventure of chatting, socializing, and maintaining her smiles and laughter.

It took her five minutes to lift her head off of the backrest. And she enjoyed those few minutes she had to herself, relished the idea that the momentarily silence only her apartment had. With a sigh, she tore off her knee-high boots. Her time was up.

Taking out her phone from the front pocket of her jeans, she checked the time, and in her horror, it read _2:20 am. _She shrugged it off. Studying would have to wait a few more hours. She checked her text messages, her social media sites, and any missed calls. Her fingers automatically started to respond to them. But she stopped herself. Many were from her so-called "friends" and rich acquaintances she barely knew. These messages had little significance in her life. All they were were the maintained appearances and deception of the rich and the famous. Under an image of Tetra Brady, the famous singer who Zelda met on an exclusive resort last winter, were millions of comments from fans and other famous friends praising her _hot bikini bod_. She looked at the smiling Tetra, her perfect figure tanned and lean against a revealing white bikini. Behind her dazzling face, tropical scenery flourished, all greens of leafy palms and explosive neon colours from large flowers. An exotic waterfall cut through the green scenery like a silver ribbon from the high cliffs—the perfect background to show off how fabulous her life was. She sneered at her smiling face. How people must _envy_ their lifestyles. How they would be so surprised to see how _boring _it was. To have everything, even time itself, made for a very unproductive lifestyle.

She laid her phone down on the nearby nightstand and resumed her former position. Before her eyes closed shut, her phone rang, jolting her upright.

"Hello?" she demanded, slightly irritated. Who called at two in the morning?

"Hey, honey."

_"Damien?!" _

"Nice to see you too," he chuckled.

"Wh—why are you calling?"

"Well, Zel, I was very worried about you. I called you thousands of times today, texted you, texted Amelia, your parents, the entire world."

"Oh," she replied, feeling silly for asking. "Sorry. I, uh, I was just having a bit of a reflection. That's all."

"What were you thinking about?"

Even if they dated for five years, Zelda suddenly felt self-conscious in confiding her feelings to him. He was part of the world she lived in and was quite content with it. And besides, he could _never_ hold a secret. No matter how big or small, it always managed to slip out of his mouth.

"I was thinking about how our anniversary's coming up soon," she said sweetly. "Remember?"

"Yeah. Me, you, a bottle of champagne at the Castleton Square, and a big fat kiss on the lips right when the clock struck twelve," he sighed dreamily. Zelda smiled. She loved the soft side of Damien Ganondorf.

"I kissed you first," she teased. "I always hold the tradition of a New Year's kiss."

"Fortunately you weren't with anyone that year or you wouldn't have lunged for the closet available mouth," he said playfully.

"Fortunately _you _weren't with Amelia or else she would've had a fit."

"Um, Zelda, I'm pretty sure she hates you forever since that day you stole my heart."

Remembering the shock on Amelia's face when she found her secret boyfriend kissing her best friend, she couldn't help but laugh cruelly. "_So?_ That bitch stole most of my prom dates, boyfriends, and crushes! It doesn't hurt to steal _one_ man away from her, does it?"

Damien was silent at her outburst.

Guilt gnawed at the pit of her stomach. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm just so angry at her right now. And tired."

"You know what would make you feel better?" he said mischievously.

She ran her fingers through her hair and leaned back, smirking. "What?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.

"You, me, and your velvety sheets."

She laughed at him. "You _can't _be serious."

"I am _dead _serious."

"With a pickup line like that, I don't know…"

"Too late. Already at your apartment."

She turned her head at the sound of her door unlocking, eyes wide and mouth gaping. Damien emerged handsome as ever, his red hair damp with melted snow, and he had the unique smell of cold wind and hot chocolate mixed together. He looked up at her, grinning.

"I told you I was desperate to contact you."

"Sounds like you're desperate for a booty call."

"That I am," he smiled, swooping her off her feet.

.

The next morning, she opened her eyes to the sun's warmth shining through her large paned windows, the nearby buildings reflecting the soft sunrise off its mirrored walls. The smell of pancakes beckoned her, and she stepped out of bed, happy from Damien's surprise visit and oblivious of the resolution she had in mind only yesterday.

"Good morning, sunshine," he called sweetly as she foggily entered the kitchen, dressed in his button-down.

"Wow. You're like a cliché from a chick flick," she joked.

"Hey, I'm just trying to be a good boyfriend."

She stood on her tiptoes and pecked him on the cheek. "You're the most perfect boyfriend in the world."

He smiled as he placed the pancakes from the pan and onto a plate. "I'm sure a beautiful lady such as yourself has plenty of competition who are eligible to be 'the perfect boyfriend' instead boring ol' me."

"Such modesty!" she poured a cup of coffee. Then she eyed him as he prepared one plate of pancakes. "You're not staying for breakfast?"

"No. This breakfast is for myself only," he joked. She punched him the shoulder and he grinned. "I've got some things to do," he confessed. "You got any extra shirts for me? I can't go to work shirtless. Plus, you're too cute in that and I don't want to take that off you…yet."

Giggling, she turned around and nearly skipped back to her room. "I've a few left over from your previous 'surprise' visits."

"Yeah. I guess regular visits at regular hours aren't much of a surprise anymore, now are they?" he called back.

She rummaged through her drawers and found his shirts rumpled in a dark corner of her closet. Pulling them out, she shouted, "Found them!" and marched back into the kitchen proudly.

"Oh! Good." He grabbed a random shirt and put it on quickly. His muscular forearm got stuck midway through the sleeve. He forced it further, and a loud ripping sound emitted as Zelda realized with horror that that was her lucky button-down for interviews and exams.

"DAMIEN!" Zelda screamed. "That was _my _shirt. My _lucky _shirt! Ugh! You big buffoon!" She slapped him with the other shirts.

His hands shot up to defend himself. "It's not my fault you're a blind bat! Look closely next time before you hand pick anything!"

" Hey! _You're _the one who picked it!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, maybe you should be fatter so then we'd have the same size!"

"Oh, _please. _Stop bodybuilding and then maybe we could!"

They were face-to-face now, their noses touching, mouths snarling, eyebrows arched, eyes wide in anger. When each realized the silly faces the other had, their sneers eventually turned into grins.

"I can't believe we're arguing over clothes!" she giggled. "You're like a girl, Damien Ganondorf. Arguing over clothes with your girlfriend."

"You should've seen the look on your face," he commented. He expressed a scrunched up nose and an exaggerated scowl.

She returned it and they fell over laughing.

"Maybe I should've told you that was my lucky shirt," she said when their laughing episode was finished. She picked up the shirts she dropped and this time examined them more closely.

"Lucky shirt? You never told me anything about a lucky shirt," he heaved, helping her up.

"Who believes in luck?" she whispered.

"There's no such thing if you ask me."

"I was, Damien." She pecked him on the cheek, smiling. "Now, here's a _men's _shirt. And it's definitely yours."

"Thanks." He shrugged it on. "I'll see you at five?"

"Sorry. Gotta make up for yesterday's missed studying session."

He sighed. "You work too much. Can't you see me tonight? It's Saturday. Come on a date with me," he grabbed her hands and looked into her eyes.

"Ah! You're too romantic for your own good. Okay. _Fine. _I'll go on a date with you. Only," she stared at him intensely, "only if I can bring my textbook."

"Sounds like you're going on a date with your textbook instead of your boyfriend."

"That's the point. Maybe plan a date with me another time, okay?" She led him to the door.

He put both of his hands up, a gesture of surrender. "Okay, okay. Have it your way."

"I'll see you later. Most likely on Monday."

"And on Monday you'll go on a date with me?"

"_Yes. _And I won't negotiate," she winked.

"The great love of my life, the beautiful enchantress Princess Zelda Nohansen. To love and to hold for five long years! As our passionate dates forever dwindle and the flame of our romance slowly extinguishes, the love in my heart weakens, yet it grows stronger in my desire for her pulchritudinous—"

Closing the door, she blew a quick kiss in his direction. "I love you, too, Damien Ganondorf."

**…**

"Have you ever fallen in love with someone at first sight?"

"Huh? What?"

"Oh, Link! Stop daydreaming."

Link Deku smiled at his newly made friend, Ilia the vegetarian veterinarian—or _soon_-to-be veterinarian. Richly smart yet unfortunately poor, Ilia attended the same school Link did, but she still had to work in order to pay off her student loans. Tackling odd jobs and school work made her life very busy, and she had the rare time to make friends, but something had touched her heart when she saw a loner drown down his strawberry milkshake, miserably reading his notes on a Monday afternoon. An immediate connection had been made then and there, and as soon as she greeted him and found out they were both scholar-ship students to Hyrule University, both of them knew they'd become the best of friends.

"I can't help but worry about school."

"Keep your mind off it," she offered.

"How can I when I know it's my only chance to make a mark on this world?"

"You think too much of the future. Just live in the here and now, and I'm sure everything will fall into place. Chance and luck are all part of our lives."

The bell near the entrance ringed as an elderly couple walked inside the diner.

"Okay. So you ordering anything else before I take their orders?" she asked, scooting out of the booth.

"A double cheeseburger sounds good."

Ilia muttered beneath her breath, "You're killing the planet and animals ordering that and then eating it."

He easily heard her judgement and decided to make amends. "How about a double _vegetarian _cheeseburger?" he smiled.

"Too bad the Milk Bar doesn't have that alternative. I'd be campaigning for it to have vegetarian options if I didn't work here," she sighed. "But, anyways, I admit that I'm guilty. The smell of a cheeseburger still makes my mouth drool."

He admired her humorous impartiality to the vegetarian versus carnivore debate.

"Young lady, do you assign seats or can we sit anywhere?" asked the elderly gentleman.

Ilia turned around, smiling. "Please. Take a seat anywhere you'd like and I'll be with you in a second."

"It was, uh, it was very nice talking to you," Link spoke up, feeling a bit bashful and overwhelmed by her warming personality. It was such a rarity to find a nice person—his age, no less—actually speaking to him in a friendly manner!

"Oh, I'll be back," she winked at him and gave him a broad smile.

He couldn't help but blush at her sparkling white teeth, her round green eyes, and the way her cheeks dimpled as they drew her pink lips into an adorable grin. A cute girl speaking to Link Deku?! A circumstance like that had _never_ happened to him in his entire life…unless you counted the times cheerleaders taunted him, cashiers and waitresses did their jobs without small-talking him, and a pretty brunette muttering an apology to him.

The thought of her made his mind wander off again. He had only met—_bumped _into her three days ago, and he already was thinking of her, a stranger who would probably dislike him once she found out who he was. No one liked him. It was oddly intriguing as to why, but over the years Link had come to his own conclusions. Maybe it was because his foster father prevented economic progress through environmentalist rallies and protests, and people's hate towards him transferred onto _him, _the little scapegoat who attempted to run away from any environmental movement's participation. Ilia suggested people were jealous of their smarts and absolute determination to fulfil any tasks handed to them. The rich snobby kids partied all the time, yet their parents paid—_donated_—to the school in order to get their grades up.

"Bribery." She rolled her eyes as she chewed on her bubble-gum during their long chat together. "Money's all everyone wants nowadays."

And those parents scolded the kids, who in turn transported their heated anger and shouts to the successful ones, the over-achievers and underdogs who busted their butts to get what they wanted in life.

"Jealousy over the people who are gonna make it in the world. They're sub-par to us once you take their money away."

Link had nodded. Ilia's theory seemed to be the most correct answer in all his experiences and conflicts he faced with school bullies and the authority figures who gloated above him and looked down upon him.

"So!" Ilia's oval face was in front of him again. She laughed at his surprise. "I'm back! Wanna continue talking?"

He nodded.

"Y'know," she started, sliding back into the booth, "you're awfully quiet. Why's that?"

"I don't know…" he trailed off, averting her curious gaze. She had such pretty eyes and it was unnerving to stare at them! It was as if she enchanted him only through eye contact.

"C'mon, Link. Don't be so shy! We're friends, aren't we?" She pushed the single serving of a double cheese-burger and fries in the middle of the table, taking a fry for herself.

He was beginning to feel very awkward and started fiddling with his fingers. How did someone make a friend within hours of talking to each other? He felt there needed a deeper connection for two people to become friends. He didn't really know the blonde in front of him besides that she grew up on a farm in the small town of Ordon, excelled brilliance through determination and effort, and winded up at the same school he did through similar circumstances. Perhaps their similarities connected them and thus the word friendship applied to them?

"I can see the gears working in your head." She smiled, those adorable dimples popping up again.

He never had a friend his own age before. "Yeah. I guess," he muttered.

"Awesome! I haven't made a friend in _ages_."

"Really?"

"Yup. Has something to do with the fact that I'm a poor student living in a ritzy area who can hardly pay her bills, which upsets her landlord, and who works her butt off at various places, which disperses my hard-working skills to lame-working skills, which upsets my bosses, and then I have to pay attention to school, where all those snobby kids hate my guts because I'm _way _better at being a model student than them," she took a deep breath, "no wonder why I don't have a friend!"

"Oh," Link inhaled too. "I thought you're very nice and friendly that you could be friends with anyone."

"I'm too energetic and opinionated to be anyone's friend," she admitted, widening her eyes at his kind remark. "But thanks! Most people describe me as 'offensive' and 'overbearing.' Not to mention just flat-out _annoying_." She popped another fry into her mouth.

He bit into his burger, and chewed and swallowed before he replied. "I think people think that I'm…nothing, really. I seem to blend into the background, but when I do make my appearance, people throw sticks and stones at me."

"Hmm…if you ask me, you _stand_ out in the crowd. Doesn't help that your head is a foot taller than anybody else's," she giggled. He began to blush. "People love unappreciative leeches, am I right?"

"I guess."

"Stop guessing and say yes or no!"

"Uhh…yeah?"

"The guessing's still in your voice!"

"Yeah. You're right," he said weakly.

"Firmer!"

"YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT!" he shouted.

The elderly couple shot a dirty look at his disruptive behaviour. Ilia became oddly quiet and was tense in that brief moment of silence.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Good thing Mr. Barten's out taking a smoke or something," she answered. "If he heard that," she made a menacing gesture with her hand slitting her throat. Her head bobbed sideways as if she got decapitated.

"I'm—I'm sorry," he muttered. "You put too much pressure on me."

"No, no. It's okay. I did put too much pressure on you. That was my fault," she smiled, taking his empty plate and glass. "I'm getting off in fifteen minutes. Do you want to go out once I'm done?"

He didn't have any plans that night, and his excitement and anxieties nearly leaped out of his heart before he stopped himself. Was this a romantic hint? She was very friendly and energetic, and the very fact that she mentioned her want to make a friend, as well as the happiness she expressed during their conversations and confirmation that they were definitely friends, he outweighed the offer as more of a friendly date rather than a romantic one.

"Sure," he finally said.

"Yippee!" she jumped off the floor with two feet. "It's a date!"

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, yeah, I know...ZELDA AND LINK APART?! OH NOES! But do not fret, dear reader, for I shall draw a random series of coincidental events which will draw them together! ;D (events that are only seen and likely to happen on the silver screen).<br>**

**And...yes. This story has a romantic-comedy element to it. Hopefully I'm making anyone smile or laugh. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Are you ready?" Damien asked, checking his watch while impatiently tapping his foot.

"Just a minute," Zelda called back from her bedroom. She studied her eyeliner in the mirror, making sure it was even.

"You said that a minute ago, and the minute before that, and the minute before that minute…" he droned on.

She got up from her vanity seat, picked up her clutch-purse and examined her figure in the full length mirror. A sweeping, floor-length mermaid dress accented her curves. Its shiny blue material brought out the specks of indigo in her eyes. "I'm done, Damien. And where are we going again?" she asked innocently.

"I already told you. It's a secret…_woah._"

"You likey?" She swirled around so he could catch a glimpse of her bare back.

"Don't you think it's a little too formal?"

"No," she said, offended. Where else would they go on a romantic date besides their favourite restaurant, _La Fantaisie, _which had strict clothing rules? A man was thrown out once because he forgot his tie.

"I'm just suggesting," he added. "We're actually _not _going to that fancy French restaurant. We're going somewhere more casual. After all, it is a Monday. Not one of the best nights for a date night."

"Oh," she said, and slouched her shoulders. "If that's the case, I guess I'll get out of this whacky get up. Elegant gloves, navy blue stilettos, sapphire earrings. Honestly, what was I thinking?" she joked, trudging back to her room. "I mean, I wore _ball _gowns—those big poufy princess dresses—to plenty of our dates. Informal clothing? I've never heard such of thing!"

"All right, you comedian. Time to lay off the sarcasm and put on some jeans and a sweater."

"But now my makeup is going to mismatch!" She gave an exaggerated moan, and randomly selected a pair of pants and a T-shirt. "Ugh! Why couldn't you just tell me the secret location?"

"Zelda, you know you hate wearing makeup. Why bother smearing that awful stuff on?"

"Everyone else is doing it. May as well do it too."

"I think you look fine just the way you are." He kissed the top of her head as she emerged from her room. Her hair was styled in an elaborate braid while her outfit was plain in comparison. The combination made her look as if she were a fairy princess in rags. "You look better in those jeans than that dramatic dress."

"Really?"

"Seriously. And the makeup makes you look absolutely stunning."

"Well, that _was _the effect I was going for. But if it clashes with this," she gestured to her simple red shirt and dark jeans, "it clashes. Now let's go!"

Taking his hand, she led him to the elevator as they awkwardly stood side by side on the long ride down.

"You know, it's awfully strange how you haven't been returning my calls," Damien began.

"Been busy," she replied, shrugging her shoulders like it was no big deal.

He scrutinized her expression as she stared at the elevator doors, pretending to be transfixed by their design. "Oh," he simply said, facing the doors again. "You never call me anymore."

"This again, Damien? Really? You want to ruin a date by bringing this topic up?"

"But," he whined. "But we're together! As a couple, we have to talk every day. And _no! _text messages do _not _count as talking to each other. By talking, I mean face to face conversations…or on the phone, at least."

The text messaging argument was her only point, and she chose to defend herself with it despite his protests. "I am _busy, _Damien. _Busy." _She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her brows were beginning to arch rigidly, and she tried to prevent them from twitching into their angry position. "Arranging a date takes a lot of time from my schedule. And talking on the phone is more distracting than messaging. Texts are all you have to work with. I should be studying right now, but I'm going on a date with you."

"So?"

She turned to him and pleaded. "So please…let's just enjoy ourselves for once, okay?"

"For _once?!" _

The elevator doors opened with a _ding, _and Damien's shout amplified into the lobby. The bystanders, curious at the loud noise, turned their attention to the angry young couple in the elevator.

Damien had grabbed Zelda by the wrist, his temple bursting in frustration. She backed up in horror at his outburst, trying to release his hold on her.

"Calm down!" she hissed.

He immediately let go of her and smoothed his shirt out, as if nothing had happened at all. "Sorry," he muttered.

She didn't know what to say.

"Are we—" Damien looked around the lobby as the two walked out the elevator. He was met with angry stares and whispers. The words _woman abuser _and _domestic violence _ran rampant in hushed breaths.

Damien looked panicked as he stared at Zelda for help.

She didn't want to be with him at that moment; instead, she wanted to be outside and alone with her thoughts. She wanted to think about their relationship —had it always been this bad? Had they actually been fighting this whole time, and their bad moments were covered up by useless jokes and quick laughs?

"Zelda."

The pleading in his eyes made her stay.

"People should mind their own business," she spoke loudly so the rest could hear as they walked out. The gossiping immediately stopped, but she knew it would start again as soon as they were out of the building.

"Such a nice young woman," a woman said as the doors closed behind them. "She deserves better than that thug."

Zelda closed her eyes, glad that Damien didn't hear what the woman said.

**…**

"LIIIINKKK!" Ilia's voice came from behind him.

He was surprised to see her hurtling down the street, attracting vicious glares from people she bumped into.

"LINK!" she cried again, her arms outstretched.

He widened his eyes as their forms collided. Link slipped on some ice from the impact, falling backwards with Ilia in his arms.

"Oomph!" he cried as the hard ice met his back. He opened his eyes to see Ilia's glowing face, flushed from the cold. He started to blush as he realized a beautiful woman was on him.

"What a soft landing!" she giggled, rolling off him. She jumped up and offered him her hand. He grabbed it, a little embarrassed by the stares from pedestrians. "Why'd you leave?" she pouted.

"You said to wait for fifteen minutes. I waited for thirty minutes."

"Oh." He noticed her lips were now applied with pink lip-gloss, and they formed a perfect 'o'.

"I just assumed you forgot—" a hand slapped him hard on the back.

"Of course not! I arranged the date, and I intend to go to it!" she exclaimed.

"Then what took you so long?" he asked. He wasn't irritated for the long wait. He was surprised he lasted _that _long. He was so nervous to go on a date with a pretty girl, he was ready to back out at any given second!

"Oh, umm, ermm…" she looked around, fidgeting with her rainbow gloves. "My boss asked me to clean up the bathrooms. _Bleh. _Disgusting!"

He laughed. "I'm glad you caught me in the middle of the street."

"Hey, what can I say? I can sense your presence." Her hands flew out and started wiggling, as if she were casting a dark spell over him.

He enjoyed her humorous company very much. All the way from the diner where Ilia worked to wherever she was leading him, Ilia shared jokes and he couldn't help but laugh at everything she said.

"I can't tell if you like me," she bellowed as they entered their destination – a small sushi restaurant tucked in between a sketchy looking pawn shop and a music store, "or if you actually think I'm the funniest person alive."

It took him a moment to catch his breath from his previous laughing episode. By the time he was ready to speak, the hostess had already led them to a _kotatsu _– a low wooden table.

"I think you're genuinely funny," he replied, his cheeks turning red. He started to hyperventilate again at how awkward that comment came out.

"D'aaaww, thanks." Ilia smiled widely, looking down and fluttering her eyelashes. "That's the nicest thing I've heard in a while for my sense of humour."

"What do people usually say?" he asked, taking off his threadbare coat.

"'Shut up, Ilia.'"

"No! Really?"

"Uh huh." She fiddled with her cup. "But anyways, enough about me, let's talk about _you." _

He backed away as she leaned aggressively closer. Was this turning into an interrogation? He didn't like the way she was looking at him. The close eye contact started to make him fidgety, sweaty, and accelerate his heart rate.

Luckily the waitress came to rescue Link with a few questions in what they'd like to eat.

"We'll have a roll of _maguro nigiri, kappa maki, sake nigiri, _and some _toro _for starters." Ilia answered, her Japanese flawless.

"And you?" the waitress asked.

"I, er, I think I need a menu…" Link looked around, confused on how Ilia knew what to order without a list of foods.

"Oh, _right! _I totally forgot you aren't a regular," Ilia laughed. "For drinks, we'll just get some green tea, 'kay? OH! And some edamame!"

"All right," the waitress smiled. "Just be sure you don't eat the whole restaurant!"

Ilia giggled. "Ugh, Naomi, you give me too much credit!"

As soon as the waitress walked away, Ilia's attention went back to Link.

"Who was your best friend?" she asked. "When you were little."

But his eyes weren't on hers, weren't on his hands, and not on the table's cutlery. Ilia, curious at his intense gaze, followed it across the room. He was staring at a very beautiful woman! A woman Ilia knew. And what she did know of her based on observations and interactions with the woman was that she was very cold, isolated, and snobbish.

Furious, Ilia began back talking her. "That's Zelda Nohansen, the ice queen of Castleton. She isn't very nice. I asked to copy some of her notes for a missed day, and she _ignored _me. She probably doesn't even know who I am. I mean, we're in the same clubs. _She _won president instead of _me _for environmental club. _I_ should've won! I'm the most environmentally-friendly person in this whole damn school! She probably only got it 'cause she has 'connections'…" she grumbled, her angry ranting over.

"What?" Link asked, his eyes still on the beautiful woman. He was trying to figure out where he'd seen her before, but Ilia's bickering was jumbling his thoughts.

"Zelda Nohansen: ice queen extradordinaire."

"Huh?" he said again. He noticed a huge man walking behind her. They chatted for a bit, the expressions on their faces unhappy.

"You know what?" Ilia suddenly said. He snapped his attention back to her. "If you're going to check out some stranger across the room instead of paying attention to your date, then _fine._ I'm leaving!"

"No! No, please don't go!" he found himself saying. He was shocked the words flew from his mouth. He didn't even notice how loud he was, and the entire room had their eyes on his cries. "I was looking forward to this all night…I wasn't checking the woman out in the way you think I am. I was just wondering where I'd seen her before, that's all."

"Looks like we're not the only ones with a problem," a man's voice, low as a baritone, commented. Everyone's eyes then turned to him.

"Shut up, Damien," Zelda replied quietly, embarrassed they attracted more attention. It was the third time that night!

"Okay. I'll stay," Ilia replied.

The restaurant resumed its activity.

"Sorry," Ilia started, unsure of how to respond to her sudden rush of jealousy. "Sorry for overreacting." This time her cheeks turned bright red. "That man over there," she pointed to Damien. "I used to date him. He ditched me for her, so in a way, I guess you could say I have a grudge," she laughed nervously. "I gotta pee!" she yelped suddenly, bouncing out of her seat.

He turned to look at the table. Damien was the only one who talked to the waitress, and Zelda sat eerily silent and still, staring at her empty plate. The two looked so miserable together. Why was she still with him? Why did Damien dump someone as lively as Ilia for someone who looked so...

"She looks dead," he whispered to himself, still staring at Zelda.

Her eyes flickered over to their table, as if she heard him speak. Embarrassed that she caught him staring, he blushed and glanced away. Cautiously, he returned his gaze to her. She was still staring at him, and a hint of a smile hid behind her glistening eyes.

Feeling daring, he wiggled his brows.

Her mouth finally smiled, and soon it erupted into laughter as he continued to make silly faces.

Damien whipped his head around to see what had made her laugh. His mouth turned into a sneer as he saw Link caught in the act of elementary humour.

Link gulped. He didn't like the look of disdain written on Damien's face.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **School has taken over my life! My deadline for New Year's won't be happening, so this story might be finished in June. XD A winter-themed story in the summer...that's awesome, yeah?


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

It was Wednesday. Zelda twirled her hair in a continuous loop as she reread her notes. It was time for her ancient history seminar.

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Damien said before he left for his own career – a fancy corporation job he acquired through the art of nepotism. "Just talk really fast so then you capture the attention of everyone."

That advice was terrible! But she held her tongue. Damien was so hot-tempered and fought over the littlest things, _especially _if she disagreed with him.

And so she carried out her morning like any other morning – shower, breakfast, a brief meaningless phone call to her parents, a quick chat to Damien to make him happy for a while, and a pathetic attempt in motivating her reflection.

"You can do it," she squeaked at the mirror, feeling silly. "You can do it!" she yelled, which slightly boosted her confidence through her convincing demeanour. A black pencil skirt, kitten heels, and an elegant floral top made her look quite the professional.

When it was time to leave the apartment, her knees already felt like jelly. How she _hated _seminars!

She was sick of showing off her shiny car, and decided to try the bus that day. The bus driver questioned what she was doing at the start, and she immediately regretted on trying out something new. The familiarity of her old car beckoned her to run away and drive to school as soon as she attempted to board the bus.

"Hey, you got a pass or some money? This ride ain't free, honey," barked the bus driver, halting her from entering.

"What? It's called public transportation. Isn't it free?"

"Hurry up!" a woman yelled behind her.

She didn't bother turning around to the confront the rude woman, and decided to ignore her for more pressing matters. "Bus rides _are _free, aren't they?" she repeated, cheeks flushing. If she was wrong, she vowed to never show her face in a bus again.

"Here, I'll pay," a blonde said. She walked passed Zelda and paid the four dollars.

Although she hated other people paying for her, she didn't protest. She just wanted to get in the bus or run away, and stop holding up the angry line behind her.

She followed the blonde to the back of the bus, getting out her wallet to repay her. "Excuse me, miss?" she called.

She turned around, and Zelda nearly gasped. It was Ilia!

"Yes?" she asked, her face opened and innocent, then quickly diminishing into a subtle sneer. "Oh, it's _you," _she nearly spat. "What do you want?"

Although she knew Ilia disliked her because she won the title of environmental club president, Zelda smiled her most charming smile. She would be polite even in the face of someone so angry. "I'd like to pay you back, Ilia," she added. She had called her Lea once and she vowed never to do it again. "Here."

"No thanks," she said, abruptly turning on her heel and sitting at the back of the bus.

Zelda wasn't stupid. She knew Ilia didn't want to speak to her, and so she sat at the front – the furthest distance away from Ilia. Soon, she regretted her decision as the bus driver tossed irritated glances occasionally towards her direction. He was probably thinking what a hassle she'd be once she tried to get _off _the bus!

Slightly embarrassed, she indulged herself in her seminar notes. This was a worthwhile distraction.

"Skyloft avenue," the bus driver said dully, leaning towards the microphone.

People got off the bus and more people got on. She glanced up briefly, hoping to see a familiar face in a sea of strangers.

No one.

She sighed. What'd she expect? All her friends and family had more luxurious modes of transportation such as fancy limos, private jets, and expensive automobiles. What would they be doing on a _bus? _The horror!

She eyed her notes again, her brain not registering what the words said. Suddenly, her pages went a shade darker. Someone was blocking out the light!

"Would you mind moving – " she stopped to find a man staring at her with a puzzled expression. He looked away as soon as their gaze met. "Why! _you're_ the silly face man!" she exclaimed.

His ears turned a shade of red as he nodded slowly, not comprehending what she just said.

"You were at that sushi restaurant the other night." She couldn't help but smile at the fond memory of exchanged expressions. "Thank you, kind sir, for making a bad night a good one."

He stared at his shoes, his long blond hair covering the majority of his face. She swore she could see a hint of a grin beneath the curtain of hair.

"Not that this matters, but my name is Zelda," she started rather awkwardly. Why would he care what her name was? He was just a stranger at a sushi restaurant who made her laugh – her _real _laugh – which she hadn't heard in ages.

He mumbled something.

"Pardon me?"

"HIIIII LINK!" Ilia shouted. All eyes and ears fell on her. "Oops, sorry!" she smiled adorably. "Link! Come sit next to me!" she patted an empty seat next to her. A man sitting near her got off of his seat and sat somewhere else.

Link returned an apologetic look to Zelda.

"Farewell, Link," she waved, feeling lonely as he walked to the back of the bus. She wished for a familiar face and Hylia had granted her wish – only if it was for a brief moment, she felt oddly comfortable in Link's presence.

"Okay, so I was working at this fancy coffee shop this morning – who knows what it's called, most likely something fancy in Hylian – and this snobby girl walks in with tacky makeup and a nose that was so high in the air, I could _see _her nose hairs!" Ilia wailed.

Link chuckled – a sort of breathy laugh that was quiet and contagious. It was unique. Zelda liked that.

She shook her head. She should be concentrating, not eavesdropping!

For the remainder of the ride, she studied on in silence. Occasionally, she'd hear Ilia's voice booming over the silence of passengers on the bus. She glanced up whenever this occurred, and almost giggled when she saw the evil glares Ilia was getting from other passengers.

"University Street," the bus driver announced.

She got off the bus quickly. She felt daggers boring into her back as she stepped down. Was it the bus driver? When she looked behind her, she saw Link's friendly face. He smiled shyly at her. She smiled back. Then her gaze slowly moved to Ilia. She was a green-eyed monster with her eyes flaming and her mouth twisted into an ugly frown.

Zelda immediately stopped smiling, turned abruptly and walked briskly to class.

**…**

"So then I got onto the bus today, and who do I see? I see _Zelda! _What the heck is she doing on the bus? I mean, c'mon. You got an Epona, drive that thing!" Ilia raved.

As she ranted, Link found himself replaying the bus scene inside of his head. How humiliating! He stood there like a fool, shocked at her appearance as if he'd seen her ghost. And she looked up at him at the worst possible moment – with his mouth agape and eyes widened, she probably thought he was a weirdo stalker! And her attempted conversation with him – why in Hyrule didn't he speak clearly?!

"Link, are you all right?"

_Ilia!_ Why'd she have to centre him out on the bus with her loudness? He didn't like all those stares he was getting again. The way Zelda looked lonely when he walked away made him regret sitting at the back, but then again, Ilia would've been angry and sat next to them out of protest.

"Yeah, I am." He looked ahead, watching Zelda's retreating figure. For some strange reason, each time she took a step, her legs were wobbly. "Why's she so shaken up?"

"She hates public-speaking and has a seminar today," Ilia smiled, which quickly turned into a frown. "Why'd you care, anyway? It's not like she has any classes with you."

"You're right. I don't think she does," he said dubiously. If she didn't have any classes with him, then why was Zelda entering the same building he was heading to?

"So what's your class today?"

He took out his phone and checked out the mini schedule he created for himself. "I've got ancient history," he replied. "You?"

"Biology."

They stopped at a huge grey building that resembled a castle with its high windows and elegant architecture.

"I'll see you later, okay? Don't forget to text me!" She stood on her tiptoes and pecked Link on the cheek.

He blushed and watched her skip away. That was totally unexpected. But Ilia was always full of surprises, he learned. Even if he just met her, he realized she was spontaneous and fun. He liked that about her.

"Move it, kid," someone growled, bumping into his shoulder hard.

"Hey!" Link shouted, which died down as soon as he saw the size of the man who bumped into him. At eye-level, all he saw were huge biceps and a chest was iron. He slowly looked up and saw a smug sneer on a tanned face framed with red hair. It was Damien! "I mean, hel-hello," he smiled. Damien looked like the type of guy who _would _punch someone in the face. Link wasn't one who'd like a broken nose.

"Yeah, whatever," he said gruffly, carrying a bouquet of flowers. A pink card was nestled between the red petals. "I saw you with a blonde girl – fun, perky, happy. Do you know where she's headed?"

"Uh, why would you want to know where she is?" he asked suspiciously. Damien's girlfriend was in the building in front of them. Ilia had previously dated Damien. Now here he was holding a bouquet of flowers, wondering where she was. It was easy to put two in two together.

"That's none of your business," Damien seethed. He plucked a rose from the bouquet of flowers and pocketed it within his jacket. He then retrieved a wallet. "I'll give you five hundred dollars if you take this bouquet to a Miss Zelda Nohansen. She's doing a seminar in one of these rooms today." His hands shuffled and counted the bills. "Be a chum and do it for me?"

Although he needed the money, even if the chance of getting punched was high now, Link shook his head. "I don't need your money, I'm not your delivery boy, and you should just give _all _the roses to her. Including the one you hid in your pocket." He felt anxious ruining Damien's romantic plans, but he was morally obliged to prevent any heartache. His new friend and friendly acquaintance didn't need this buffoon. He'd either make them sad or angry if they found out what he was _really _up to.

Damien laughed, shaking the bills in front of Link's face like a dog treat. "It's five hundred dollars in cash. Would you really turn down such an amazing offer?"

"Yes," Link nodded firmly.

His temple throbbed. "Okay, kid," he smiled, putting back his money. "Where's Ilia?"

"She doesn't want to see you," he gulped. "And besides, she's dating _me_." He tried to sound brave and convincing, but it ended up sounding weak. He scarcely believed it himself. He was dating an amazing woman!

It took two minutes for Damien to stop laughing. Link stood awkwardly, watching as his face turned red and tears spread across his cheeks.

"_You?_ Dating _her?" _he finally asked._ "_Stop lying. Anyways, even if she was dating you she'd still come running back to me with opened arms. It's just like the time I was dating another girl, I still had her on the side along with a few others of unimportance," he sneered.

Dismayed, Link shouted, "I knew it! I knew it from the moment I saw you – you're a cheater!"

Damien didn't say anything for a moment and stood eerily still. Finally, he stepped closer to Link so he was forced to look up at him. "Remember. She'd gladly ditch you for me. After all, who pays for her tuition? Her scholarships don't cover the costs like yours do," he said calmly. "Ilia is practical. She'll do _anything _to get what she wants. And I mean _anything." _He walked passed him. "Have a good day, kid."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

All eyes and ears on her. Watching every move. Listening to every word. Judging her.

It was uncanny on how intense her audience was. They had their notebooks out, their pens ready, mouths shut. The silence got to her. Their stares were the worst. They were soulless zombies, ready to attack their pages with notes.

"Testing, testing," Zelda spoke into the mic, and to her dismay, a few of the students began jotting down.

She sighed and looked around. The seminar wouldn't start until ten more minutes, but the seats looked almost full. Thousands of unblinking eyes glared at her, taunting her to make a mistake or a silly joke that was useless. She wondered if they were the sort of crowd that would burst out laughing if she made a mistake or sat in awkward silence as they watched her cheeks turn red in humiliation.

_Stop it, _she reassured herself, and then stared at the exit sign to calm her nervousness. She pretended empty air was all around her instead of thousands of eager students. For the moment, her jitteriness died down. She knew it would start again as soon as she started speaking.

"Zelda!"

She immediately turned to the familiar voice and automatically smiled. "Damien!" she threw her arms out and he hugged her tightly.

"Sorry I'm late," he said. "I got confused to as where you are, but I came to wish you luck. Here. These are for you."

He handed her beautiful roses.

She sniffed them and said into the flowers, "It's not like I'm an opera singer or anything. It's just a seminar."

"I know you hate public-speaking. Thought this might've cheered you up."

All eyes were on her, curious as to why she had flowers in her arms. She immediately shoved the red roses back into Damien's hands. "Thank you, but can you put these on the side for now? I'm not going to wave this around while talking."

A brief flicker of annoyance spread across his face like wildfire. "Okay," he said. He glanced about and glared at someone in the audience. Then he left with the flowers squeezed into a tight fist. Zelda swore she could see the steam coming out of his ears.

She shrugged her shoulders. They were obviously going to end up in a garbage can anyway.

…

Link wasn't one who skipped classes, but after that rude meeting, he didn't feel up to the task of listening to some boring speaker lecture about the creation of their beloved land. Besides, it was a student talking! The professors were the only ones who had any valuable information to give to his brain.

Plus being in the presence of Damien tensed him. Link needed to avoid him at all costs lest the perfect opportunity to be punched popped up. Link knew he hated him for a variety of reasons, and that gave Damien the justification to be disrespectful to him.

He began thinking about what got them started off on the wrong foot as he walked to the coffee house near the campus. First of all, he made googly eyes to his girlfriend, who, without a doubt, he was attracted to. He'd admit it, she was _beyond _beautiful, and couldn't help but think about that at times. She was a curiosity in the first place, and then he noticed the way her dark hair framed her pale face and the contrast really brought out the blues in her eyes, and whenever she smiled, his heart fluttered a little, and her pink lips were soft peaches he just wanted to bite down on…

_Ugh! I am sounding like a complete stalker right now, _he thought as threw his hands up in the air, which almost hit a woman's head.

"Watch it!" she shouted. She gave him an annoyed look as she continued walking by, and almost rammed into a sign at head level.

He turned abruptly and cowed his head to hide the glowing blush blooming on his cheeks. Being a total klutz had its downfalls in public.

What other reasons did Damien hate him? Oh, yes. Their coincidental encounters were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Link had a staring contest with his girlfriend at that sushi restaurant, which Damien wasn't too pleased about because he probably thought there was a 'love at first sight' thing going on, and in addition to that, Damien caught him in the act of blushing - a dead giveaway to his attraction to Zelda! And then he showed up on the steps of the historical hall. Damien had every right to believe he was a stalker.

_Curse my negative-state of mind. I am _not _a stalker. Fate's just making me look like one, _he thought miserably as he entered the coffee house.

Link undeniably blew a fuse with Damien when he stood up to him. What was a guy to do in a situation like that? Be a bystander? No! Link wouldn't stand that at all.

"Hello. What can I get for ya?" the cashier girl asked as he walked up to the counter. He appeared absent-minded, and the girl had to wave in front of his face to capture his attention.

The greeting was quick and caught him off guard. He flinched when he saw the hand waving about, thinking that it was an incoming slap. "Uhh, err, ahhh…." He mumbled and felt the heat rush to his ears. "Black coffee, please," he finally sputtered and gasped. Was he really holding his breath for that long?

"Sure!" she smiled a type of mischievous smile he didn't want to see again. Her canines were sharpened into fangs. How peculiar! When he first walked in, he didn't notice how different the cashier girl was. Bright, fiery, artificial red hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. Piercings scattered her face like shiny stars. Weird black, white, and aqua-coloured tribal tattoos peeked beneath her uniform and shined against her ivory skin.

"Want anything else?" she asked when she finished pouring the coffee. He jolted when her red eyes met his. She raised a pierced eyebrow at his jerky movement.

"No. I'm fine," he said.

"Okay," she replied. "Two dollars, please."

"Here. Keep the change." He handed her a five dollar bill, grabbed his coffee and rushed to a seat out of sight.

He got out his laptop and decided to finish writing his essay for ancient history. If he wasn't in class, he may as well get a head start in the term paper.

To his surprise, the cashier reappeared thirty minutes later. Did she want to talk to him? He sat a little straighter.

"Uhh, dude. You gotta buy another snack or drink if you wanna stay here longer," she said dully.

He blushed. How silly was he? Of course she didn't want to befriend him; she was only doing her job! "I'll get – I'll get a croissant, please. Thank you."

"Not a waitress. I'm a cashier," she said grumpily and stomped back to her position at the register. He followed her.

"A croissant, please," he repeated.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm not stupid." She punched numbers into the register. "Three dollars, please."

It was weird seeing someone so polite and uncaring at the same time. "Thank you," he said, staring at her nametag. _Midna?_ What kind of name was that?

"Are you staring at my boobs?" she cried suddenly. Her nostrils flared and her hands curled into fists.

"No, no!" he immediately replied. Maybe he _was _going to get punched today! "Just your nametag!"

Her hands flew over her chest, and she smirked. "Oh really? Then what is it?"

"Midna."

"Oh," she laughed nervously. Her mouth opened as if she were about to say something, but then she turned around and resumed her job as if the awkward incident never happened. "Buttered, cream-cheese or jam?" she asked, slicing a croissant in half.

He watched her prepare the croissant efficiently. "Butter, please."

"Better not be staring at my ass," she muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing."

He fiddled with his coat zipper. He decided to attempt small talk to break the ice. "So how long you've been working here?"

Midna's eyes fixated onto the toaster. "None of your business," she said.

"Oh," he sighed. Well, that was a flop.

"I just work to pay the bills," she finally said. "Used to have a good life, but then my parents disowned me."

He didn't expect her to reveal that much! How would he respond to something so deep and private? "That sucks," he said at last, and then realized how cold it sounded. Of course it sucked!

"Meh," she shrugged her shoulders, taking the croissant out and buttering it. "I went to this university. Was one of the top students and, since I couldn't pay my tuition, they kicked me out. Now look at me. Serving coffee to snobby rich kids," she laughed. "I was one of them."

He nodded slowly, not quite comprehending what was happen. One moment Midna was a bored and aloof cashier, and the next she was spilling her life story to a complete stranger.

"Huh. I don't know why I just spilled my life story to you," she said. "Anyway. You gotta purchase something again in another thirty minutes. Here." She plopped the croissant onto a plate. "Have a great study session!"

"I-I," he said, shocked at her quick change in personalities. "I will."

She smiled her fanged grin. "Yeah, Mr. Big-Shot Lawyer." She winked before returning to her work.

He stood there for a solid ten seconds, staring and blushing, before he came to his senses. Luckily, she didn't notice his strange sedate state, and he hurried to his little seat in the corner.

A muffin, two lattes, and a bottle of water later, he heard Midna say, "What can I get for ya?" in her bored tone.

"Good afternoon, Midna. I'd like a hot chocolate and gingerbread, please and thank you."

His ears perked up. He recognized that voice!

"Zelda?" Midna asked, surprised.

Wait…they _knew _each other?!

…

That seminar was utterly boring yet exhilarating at the same time! It took her thirty minutes to adjust from nervous wreck to a state of calm. The students shot questions at her each time a sentence came out of her mouth. It annoyed her how they interrupted constantly, but nonetheless, she answered and they listened. A series of refutes and retorts rang throughout the room. She never saw a set of eager students before!

And then there was that rare joker who tried to hit on her. _Dark Link.  
><em>

She growled. She wanted to file a sexual harassment claim, but was too nice to enact her thoughts. Besides, that scoundrel was only in one of her classes. He had many ladies besides her to obnoxiously flirt with. She could live with it.

What she really wanted at that moment was a nice hot beverage to soothe her racing heart and a plate of something to eat. Three hours of walking around with an empty stomach did strange things to her! Although the seminar went well, she was still shaken from it. She hoped she received a perfect from the teacher's assistant.

A neon sign caught her attention_. _Café Clair de Lune_. _Wasn't that where Midna worked? She peered in through a large window. In the dimly lit cafe, there were no customers besides a bundled up man typing fiercely on his laptop. She leaned in closer and stared to the right where the service area was. Sure enough, there she was! All red, white, and turquoise, Midna hummed to herself, staring at the ceiling lights. Zelda smiled. It had been years since her parents last spoke to Midna. That was before she went 'crazy' and transformed her natural beauty to a deformed vampiric creature.

Although her parents warned her not to talk to the deviant Midna Twy, Zelda snuck in some visits to see her old childhood friend. The last visit was a couple of weeks ago, and Zelda had given her a ridiculously large tip. Midna was unhappy and stopped talking to her since then. Maybe she should go apologize…

She pulled her hood up. Better disguise herself in case she was booted out before she ordered.

"What can I get for ya?" Midna asked as soon as she entered. Midna stared at the counter, her hand on her cheek as she leaned against it.

"Good afternoon, Midna. I'd like a hot chocolate and gingerbread, please and thank you."

"Zelda?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"What-what are you doing here?" cried Midna. She no longer looked bored.

"I came to say hello," Zelda said calmly, pulling down her hood.

"Get out!" she growled. "I don't serve people who give me pity. And here," she fumbled in her apron pocket. "Take your cash. I didn't need it then and I don't need it now!"

The cash flew to her face like a slap. Hundred dollar bills floated to the ground like snowflakes from the skies.

"Midna…" she began, expecting her to interrupt.

Midna crossed her arms and turned her back to her cold silence.

"I'm sorry. I truly am. I knew you'd be upset—"

"Then why give it to me?!" she spun around. Her eyes were glistening and tears threatened to spill. Zelda knew she held them back. She always did. "To have my only friend in the world to treat me like a wounded dog needing shelter. That isn't what I expected from you."

She stared at the floor. It was true. She believed Midna was in every way wounded. Her past life had unexpectedly vanished right before her eyes and now her life transformed into a living nightmare. Zelda only wanted to help her. Instead, she hurt her more.

"Sorry," she muttered again. There was no point in arguing with an upset Midna. Stubborn and fierce, it took a lot to change her mind. "I'll leave. Pretend I never came here."

There was no way she could repair the broken bond between them. She knew how long Midna held grudges.

"Midna," a man mumbled.

Astonished that there was another soul present in their dispute, Zelda spun around to see the bundled man – the only customer besides her – waddle slowly towards the abandoned money. He picked it up.

"Your pride is stronger than your rationale," he gathered the money. Zelda bent down to assist him. If Midna didn't want the money, this man could have it.

"Take it. It's free and it'll help you pay your bills. Perhaps you can use it to plan for a better future," his eyes smiled above his red scarf. "Don't be a fool to pride. Listen to reason."

Midna snapped at him. "Listen, stranger, I don't even know you. This is between me," she glared at Zelda, "and _her." _

"What the happened in the past has passed. You shouldn't refer to bad experiences to negatively affect your present and future."

Zelda was shocked at how wise and kind strangers could be! It had been a while since she ran into one of those types of people.

Midna's death glare landed on the man. "She feels pity for me. Do you even know how it feels? It makes you feel—"

"Worthless," he interrupted. "Yes, I know. I've experienced it for most of my life. No one likes that feeling."

"I—" Midna sputtered after she regained composure. No words came out after. She didn't know how to respond. "Yeah, I guess it's stupid. But still, it hurts."

"I won't do it again unless you request," she replied. "And it's true. You've always been complaining about how hard it is to pay rent and necessities, so I thought I'd give you a little extra."

"Ten thousand dollars is hardly 'a little extra,'" Midna scoffed.

"You said you wanted a car. I thought that would pay a bit for it."

"Hmm…more like paying for _the whole fucking thing!"_

"Woah! Easy there!" the man intruded. "I understand the bitter resentment behind it. You feel like working is worthless if you have a friend who can solve life's problem with the snap of her fingers, right?"

"Yeah," Midna mumbled. "Irritates me so much I just get angry whenever I see Zelda."

A hint of a blush spread on the man's face. It really brought out the bright blues of his eyes, Zelda thought. Wait…was that…?

"Link?" his name leapt out of her mouth before she had a chance to contain herself. His blush reddened. "Link!" Zelda smiled. "It's me. The girl from the sushi restaurant and the bus."

"Im-no-hoo-yur," he said.

"What?" she asked.

He hid deeper within his red scarf. "Imnoohooyurzelduh."

"Oh, for Hylia's sake!" Midna ripped off his ridiculously long scarf. It was such a vicious pull; he gagged as if she choked him.

"Haiyaah!" he shouted, covering his face as if he were naked. "What was that for?"

"Maybe you'd speak clearer if you didn't have that tacky thing covering you!" she retorted. "Now spit out what the heck you were saying."

"I said," he started calmly, fumbling to grab his scarf back. He snatched it out of Midna's hands quickly and placed it around his shoulders.

"Go on," Midna coaxed.

He fiddled with his thumbs, contemplating something. Midna was about to encourage him to speak before he yelled suddenly, "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. YOU'RE ZELDA!"

"Geez! Not so loud!" Midna covered her ears. "And you guys know each other? What? _Zelda!_ You never told me you're friends with such a hottie," she nudged her shoulder.

Zelda giggled. "I don't really know him. We just met. Hardly friends."

Link looked at his toes and shuffled his feet. She realized suddenly she hurt his feelings in some way.

"I mean, we can be friends…if you want. I don't mind making quick friends," she said abruptly. "I mean, like—"

Midna lazily wrapped an arm around Zelda's shoulders. "What my dork of a friend here is trying to say." Zelda smiled at the word 'friend.' Perhaps her grudge already disappeared. "She'll happily be friends with you even though she hardly knows you."

She panicked. "We – we _could _talk sometime if you want. To get to know each other," she offered to Link, who she noticed turned pinker with each passing second.

"And cheat on Damien," Midna sung.

Link blushed and Zelda whipped around, shocked.

"No! No. It's not like that!" she cried.

"Zelda, Damien is _such_ a douche. You deserve better than that piece of junk," she slid over to Link and flirtatiously wrapped his scarf around his neck. "You should go for this hunk," she smiled, then giggled and skipped over to the counter. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone!"

"Midna!" Zelda cried. She supposed this was her type of vengeance for over-tipping. How cruel!

"H-hello," Link started.

She turned to him feeling guilty. Her schedule dictated her to grab a quick coffee and snack for a ten minute break and then head to the library for a six hour study session. There was hardly any time for a chat with Link.

"Or should I say 'hello, again!'" he laughed. She smiled at his awkward charm. "Right now, I have to go. I mean, if you're still up for a cup of coffee or anything, maybe we can schedule for next time?"

She liked how he wasn't demanding and asked her nicely. "Sure. How about Friday in the morning?"

"At seven?"

Simultaneously, they both took out their phones and checked their timetables.

"Sure!" they both said at once. They immediately laughed.

"Uh, I'll see you later, Zelda."

"You too, Link," she grinned. "It was finally nice to get a proper meeting."

He waved and exited. She watched him pass by the window. She gasped. He literally jumped for joy into the air!

"Huh," Midna began.

Zelda jolted. She was so observed in their conversation, she didn't even notice Midna was watching them.

"You guys have, like, a weird psychic bond going on. Moving and thinking at the same time - What the heck is up with that?"

Zelda smiled. "It's magic."

…

It was Thursday. On Thursdays, Link tried to absorb his entire Sociology lecture. And immediately after that, he went out to get lunch with his textbook as a date. But on that Thursday afternoon, a change of plans occurred. He did not like that at one bit. And the cause of his schedule's disturbance was—

"Hey, Link!"

He turned around to see Ilia rushing to him like a bull towards a matador. At the last second, he sidestepped and her hug swapped the air.

"Not funny!" she cried, almost falling flat on her face.

"It wasn't meant to be," he muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing."

She heard nothing but the wind and smiled. "Link, we're not going to hang out later tomorrow. I hope that's okay."

He was grateful, really. If she found out about his meeting with Zelda, he knew she would do something drastic to prevent his going or cause an embarrassment. He analyzed his situation as he walked away from the café yesterday. He just intuitively knew she'd probably hide his bus pass or put pink dye in his shampoo!

He smiled a fake smile back. "It's fine," he grimaced. He wanted to shake Ilia's death grip off of his arm, but being the gentleman he was, he did nothing about it and allowed her to hang on. _Just five more blocks, _he thought.

"What's with that sour look on your face?" she asked as she leaned her head onto his shoulder.

Great! Now _half _of her body weight was on him and a face-full of blonde hair, which, much to his weak stomach, had a sickly sweet scent of strawberries.

"Nothing," he said again.

She closed her eyes and sighed. "Oh, Link! Isn't it beautiful out? The sky's blue, the birds are singing, and the snow hasn't fallen yet!"

"Yeah…" It was just like any other day. He didn't see anything special about it, but then again, he wasn't one who took note of his surroundings.

"How about we go on a picnic? The weather's warm."

"Tonight? Well, I—"

She grabbed both of his shoulders and stood in front of him, forcing him to stop in his tracks. She looked up at him with big green eyes and a soft pout. "Pluh-_ease? _Oh, Link! Please do it for me?"

He looked around him, feeling as if everyone was watching their little fiasco. He wanted Ilia to stop making such a scene! Finally he sighed in defeat. Who could say no to such an adorable face? "Okay. _Fine. _But only for a little while, all right?_"_

"All right!" She nodded eagerly, grabbed his arm and slid it around her shoulders. "I'll bring some cucumber sandwiches, a bottle of wine – cheap stuff, of course. Hmm…maybe mini cupcakes with some fruit and cheese and crackers…"

Link sighed. He really wanted to study for that Law test coming up, but instead Ilia was dragging him on a date - To a _picnic! _He shuddered. Picnics were the worst at this time of year. The cold, the wind, the terrible finger food—

"Here, Link!" she halted them to a stop. "This is my palace," she joked.

They stood in front of a two-story town house snugged between a guitar-repair shop and a convenience store. The windows were crooked and the siding had paint peeling off to reveal old wood.

"It's a bit of a dump, but it's home," she smiled. "Come on in!"

The door creaked open and almost slammed shut on his fingers.

"Oops! Forgot to mention there's no spring hinge on the door to hold it open," she giggled. Link was not in a laughing mood because his fingers were almost cut off.

The smell of cookies baking in the oven wafted through the air.

"My roommates home!" she exclaimed and started taking off her boots and plaid coat. "She works at a café and she makes the best cookies and cupcakes _ever!"_

Muffled heavy metal music exploded from upstairs.

Ilia rolled her eyes and helped Link take off his outwear. "She's always blaring that awful crap. One of the disadvantages to have her as a roommate."

Link nodded empathetically. He was always stuck with the worst boarding buddies – his first year, his roommate kept bringing home scantily clad ladies who giggled like hyenas. During the night, he heard the bed squeaking and several indistinguishable animal sounds. He also had another roommate who smoked and stank of skunk and a variety of different herbs during second year. Third and fourth year he was stuck with the same party-animal who used their shared bathroom as a vomiting saloon. He had to use public bathrooms which fared better than the one at his dorms!

He straightened up. Thank Hylia he was out of Skyloft Academy once and for all!

"Make yourself at home. I'll go prepare our food," Ilia pecked him on the cheek. Then she tilted her head and said, "You know, you're not like the other guys I've dated. You're nicer than them."

"Thanks," he said hesitantly. He wasn't sure if they really _were _dating. At first he thought they were friends and now they were going steady? When did _that _happen?

"I'm happy you ran into me," she smiled, holding his hand.

He shied away. "Me too." Why did this feel so awkward?

"Lunch will be ready in thirty minutes. Watch some TV or do something, why don't you?"

He nodded and ventured into the living room to the right of the small hallway. It took all his strength not to rudely gasp. This place was a pigsty! The couch and carpet had paint blotches and other stains dotted here and there, empty pizza boxes and chip bags sprawled the floor and every available surface, the TV was on although its watchers were absent, and several unscathed paintings huddled in the only somewhat clean corner of the room. He examined this clean corner to calm his forming headache.

An easel and a few cans of paint faced towards the only light source – the window. On the easel was a half-finished painting of a blue-eyed woman in a crazy medieval getup. Her smile was very familiar.

"Zelda?" he whispered, inching closer to get a better look. It _was _Zelda! But what was she doing here? And who painted her? Then he noticed the completed paintings were _all _of Zelda. So she did have a stalker – and it wasn't him!

Shocked, he took a step back and rammed into an end table. The inevitable crash of glass caused Ilia to poke her head into the room, and Link turn around to see what broke.

"Noooo!" she cried, rushing to the mess.

"I-I'm sorry!" he replied and hurriedly gathered the broken glass.

She slapped his hand away. "Don't touch anything!"

It stung him and he pulled away. Why was she so upset about the broken vase? It was ugly and of no value…

To his surprise, tears flowed down her face. She let her fingers get cut by the glass as she dug within the pile to retrieve something.

She pulled a long stem out, the thorns digging into her flesh, and brought the rose to her lips.

Barely audible, she whimpered his name.

_ "Damien."_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven **

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Link rolled over to his side and blindly searched for the alarm with his hand. It successfully landed atop of the 'snooze' button and clattered to the floor.

He groaned. It sounded like it broke. He didn't feel like getting up to clean the mess. Nor did he feel like checking to see if it was broken. In fact, he didn't feel like doing _anything _that Friday morning.

Yesterday still affected him today. Strangely he was hurt by Ilia's nonsensical commotion over the broken vase and the flattened rose. He immediately knew who she referred to.

_Damien. _He gritted his teeth. He couldn't help but feel jealous, angry, and depressed all at once. But why did he feel this way? They had only known each other for four days. Had he perhaps fallen in love with her?

He chuckled. Of course not! Four days wasn't enough to fall in love. He made his first friend and, because of his longing for friendship, he grew deeply attached to Ilia's optimistic and warming personality. She pushed him away and had another far more important than what Link could offer. And that someone was Damien - a man who was taken, out of her league, and undeniably two faced. The charming and charismatic gentleman to those worthy of his brilliance and the menacing commander to others he deemed unworthy of his presence. Link suspected he fell in the latter.

Ilia held Damien on a pedestal, so Link knew without a doubt he was at least nice to her face. And that kindness brought Ilia to terrible dilemma. Would she date someone who had it all, the handsome and venomous Damien Ganondorf, or would she date a good-for-nothing peasant such as himself?

_"She'll do anything to get what she wants."_

Damien's words echoed in his head. It was decided then. Ilia would use Damien just as he'd use her. Dating Link was out of the question for someone in her circumstance. A hotshot school which catered to the rich was difficult to pay tuition if you weren't a billionaire.

Link drew his knees to his chest. Even if she were going to abandon him sooner or later, he still felt the guilt gnawing at his stomach for his rude departure. After she clutched the broken flower within her hands and spoke Damien's name, he was frozen in place and couldn't make anything of it. Thousands of thoughts flew into his head, but the clearest was the obvious. _She loved him. _Those words were all it took for him to skedaddle with his tail between his legs. He should've done something to help her and cheer her up. By the time he realized this, his cheeks were turning red from the cold air outside. He was walking away from the situation and not confronting it head on.

Now that he was away from it, he analyzed it, turned it around, and speculated various options. The most attractive one was to ignore Ilia altogether. She could have Damien and he'll remain out of their little love affair.

Of course he just _had_ to schedule that coffee meeting with Zelda. Why'd he do that? Zelda was connected to Damien who was connected to Ilia, the very two people he wanted to avoid.

Avoiding the conflict was cowardly and unavoidable altogether. It was like trying to run away from your shadow. Wherever he went, the Ilia/Damien Conflict will follow him, too.

What was the right thing to do? He realized Ilia would approach him in time, and there was no way of avoiding that. She had his schedule. She knew where he'd be and when. And Link was never one to disobey his carefully constructed schedule.

Lastly, Damien always had a reproachful eye on him whenever he was around Zelda. And he knew somehow they were always near each other, and wherever Zelda went, Damien tried to go too.

Link sat up. There was no way to do anything about. He'd just have to face it and improvise whenever it came at him.

With that settled he got out of bed and tiptoed around the broken alarm clock. He'll clean it later. Sitting in bed longer than he was used to skewed his schedule, and if he wanted to see Zelda, he'd better hurry!

Washing his face at the sink, he stared at his reflection, the events of last night still nagging at him to remember every detail. Ilia's sobs loudly echoing throughout the house, the many faces of Zelda staring vaguely at him, the way the light shone against the broken glass and illuminated the running blood tinted by the fallen water, the heavy music blaring from the upstairs. Hurried steps rushed downwards and a cry of confusion echoed as he exited the building.

Guilt shadowed him on his walk to the café. He laughed as he realized Zelda hadn't specified the exact location. Perhaps she only fooled him into believing she actually wanted to get to know him. In truth, no one wanted to know him. He was boring and quiet. But he was hopeful, and his legs carried him towards Café Clair de Lune.

The warmth and smell of baking cookies encased him as he entered the doors. He was surprised when he saw who the cashier was. She had her head down, examining a phone closely in her hands.

"Hello, Midna!" he called, stomping off the wetness of his boots.

There was no response. Heavy metal music grew louder as he approached Midna. It sounded like the song Ilia's roommate played yesterday.

He shook his head. He didn't want to remember that.

As his shadow blocked Midna's view, her head snapped up in fright. There were no red-coloured contacts this time, he noticed. Pale amber eyes stared back at him in shock and worry. They slowly transformed into anger and she quickly took off her headphones, slammed down her phone, and reached Link across the counter.

_"You!" _she grabbed his shirt collar and tugged at him.

He flinched. "Wha—?"

"You good-for-nothing piece of _shit._ I _knew _it. You're nothing but a fake. That wise guy act may have fooled me, but you're not fooling me now. I know who you are. You're _trash."_ She still held tightly onto him as she made her way across the counter. "So you think you can break a girl's heart and then go after my best friend? Well, I am _not _going to stand idly by and let a train wreck happen all because of _you_."

"What are you talking about?"

She gave him a once over and sneered. "You damn know what I'm talking about."

He held his hands up, as if surrendering. "I don't. Honestly. What are you ranting…" a flash of realization struck him. The smell of delicious cookies, the heavy metal music, the heartbroken girl in Midna's life—

"You're Ilia's roommate," he said stupidly.

"No shit, Sherlock," she muttered, finally letting go.  
>"If you're Ilia's roommate…" he pointed at her, his mind slowly comprehending.<p>

"You're the dumbass who ditched her last night! She could've died of blood loss if I wasn't there."

"Blood-blood loss?" he sputtered. He never conceived that as a possibility and now that he knew, he felt guiltier than before.

"Yeah. I had to call an ambulance - since we both don't own a car - and the hospital was blocks away. The glass cut deeply into her wrists," she shook her head. "I don't know how it happened. She wouldn't tell me and just started crying."

"Then why are you blaming me? I'm not the cause of this."

Her hand whacked him in the shoulder. "The hell you are!"

"Listen to me. I am _not. _I mean, I should've been there to help her, but I was in shock and abandoned her. I know it's terrible. You don't have to rub it in my face because I already know." His throat started to feel sore. "I'm a horrible person for acting on impulse," he choked out, voice wavering. His eyes began to water but he urged the tears back. "Where is she?"

"She's at the hospital," she said softly. "I don't think you should see her. She's only requesting one person. And it isn't you."

"Damien," he automatically said. "It's Damien, isn't it?"

"Yes," she answered, surprised. "How do you know him?"

Link walked over to a chair. He needed a seat. "I barely know him. Only talked to the guy once. And yeah, you're right. He's a total douche."

She laughed, grabbing a seat next to him. "So you can see right through him too, eh?"

"He basically warned me to stay away from Ilia and Zelda. I don't know why he did that. I barely just met them both."

"He's overly protective of the women he dates and overly competitive with males who can win them away. I guess he saw you as a threat," she shrugged her shoulders. "I can see why."

He blushed, not knowing what she implied. "Ahem. Anyway, I think Ilia's frantic about Damien and Zelda's relationship. She rants about how jealous she is and then fumes over Zelda's life. Is that normal?"

"Just jealousy from one girl to another."

"Yeah, but the freaky thing is, there's weird paintings of Zelda in her living room."

"Uhhh…those are actually mine…"

"What? Why do you have so many?"

"My old painting professor really liked Zelda as a model. And I mean _really _liked her. What a creep," she replied. "Hey, if you want, you can buy one from me."

He blushed. "Why would I do that?"

"I need the cash and I see the way you look at her," she grinned. "Someone has a crush."

He coughed. He desperately needed to get back on topic. "Did I mention I was the one who knocked over the vase?"

"AHA! So you _are _the cause of all of that!"

"Not quite. I'm not the one who made Ilia go in a frantic state to dig through a pile of broken glass. It was Damien."

"_Damien?" _

"Yeah. Damien."

"How'd he get into this mess?" she asked. "Last time I saw him was two weeks ago and Ilia was finally getting away from her obsession with the guy."

Link sighed. He wasn't one for gossip, yet here he was, intruding on Ilia's private life. "He gave her a red rose. Sound familiar?"

"_Right. _She kept clutching onto that thing while the paramedics tried to get her onto the stretcher."

"She dug through the glass to get the rose. And then she put it up to her face like this," he demonstrated, "and whispered Damien's name."

"That _bastard!" _she shouted furiously. "I just want to—" she clutched the air as if she choked someone. "Ilia and Zelda are my friends and both are dating that guy. Zelda is because her parents tell her to."

Link raised his brows. He always thought Zelda as the type of woman who'd date for love. "What about Ilia?" he asked. He was interested in her motivation to keep crawling back to him.

"Most people would argue she dates him for the money and the hopeful attainment of status and power. But I honestly believe she does it because she thinks he's an amazing man. She's gullible and sees the good in everyone, you know? That can be a blessing _and _a curse. Especially for someone as two faced like Damien."

"Shouldn't you tell them both?"

"I can't. I can't bear to be the bringer of heartache."

He reached for her hand. "It's the right thing to do."

"Is it?"

"The sooner the better," he confirmed.

"Zelda is starting to see the bad in him. I suspect she'll break away from him by New Years."

The door opened and a gust of cold air blew in.

"Hey Midna," Zelda's voice emitted, but stopped in a deathly silence.

Link turned around to catch her eyes transfixed on something. He followed her gaze which landed on Midna and his conjoined hands. Shequickly pulled hers away.

"Zelda, hey," she started awkwardly. "How's it going."

"Link," Zelda said suddenly, a hint of urgency in her voice. "Tell me now. Is it true? Is it true that Damien is cheating on me?"

Link gaped at her. How did she know?

Midna smiled. "She's smarter than she looks, y'know?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **The plot is picking up speed! I just added a whole bunch of plot twists and I don't know if they worked or not, so tell me your thoughts! xD


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight **

It was Thursday evening. Zelda was about to head home and take a relaxing bath with a mug of hot chocolate by her side, calm music playing, and a newspaper in her hands. But her phone vibrated and a text message from Midna popped up.

_Zelda! I'm at the hospital. _

Zelda immediately dropped her papers and texted back, _What happened?_

_Ilia had an accident. _

Ilia? Why was Midna texting about Ilia? The girl had a resentful eye on Zelda. She would never call for her if she had an accident, let alone exchange pleasantries.

_Should I come over? _ She asked. _What hospital are you at?_

_Castleton Hospital. But don't come. I don't think she likes you._

Zelda nodded. So Midna noticed it, too.

_ Send flowers, at least, _she texted._ I'm only calling you because she wants to speak to Damien. He won't pick up his phone. Try to contact him? _

_Okay._

She changed directions to the florist and dialed Damien's number. After she finished dialing, the sudden thought occurred to her. It was suspicious as to why Ilia asked for Damien. She never knew the two were close friends.

"Hello!"

"Damien!" she shouted, surprised he picked up after many rings.

"This is Damien Ganondorf. I'm not at the phone right now. Feel free to leave a message and I'll call you back later!"

Her heart deflated. Maybe he already got the call from someone and was already at the hospital? The thought comforted her as she walked to the florist. No one deserved to be alone in a fatal accident.

She entered a green painted building labelled _Farore's Flowers. _The scent of jasmine and rose filled the air as she entered a room bursting with colours. There was no one at the counter. She rang the bell. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a leaf move on its own. A face with a cheeky grin emerged underneath.

"Hello! Welcome to Farore's Flowers. I'm Farore! What can I get for you?" the green-haired woman chirped. Zelda was astonished at her appearance. Flowers twined the hair she mistook for a plant and vines ran up and down her arms and chest like jewelry. A crown of marigolds laid atop her head. It was like seeing a nymph!

"Hello," she finally said. "A friend's in the hospital. I'm just here to get some get-well flowers and a card. That's all."

"Hmm," she said, her hand beneath her chin. "Will a wildflower basket do?"

"Oh, no. I don't want anything _big. _I'm not actually her friend, and I don't think she'll appreciate it if I get her something large."

A confused look crossed Farore's face.

Zelda sprang an explanation forth, hoping to clear up her confusion. "She doesn't like me. But still, I think I should get her something after what happened to her."

"Will a single flower do?"

"How about two?"

To her surprise, Farore giggled. _"Two?" _

"What's wrong with two?"

"Every florist knows that for flowers they always have to be odd. Or else the arrangement looks funny and unpleasant to the eye. Even if you don't know the number of flowers you have, you can always tell it's odd if it looks good."

"Oh. I didn't know that."

"Well, now you do!" she smiled. "Why do you think people get a single rose or a group of three or five instead of two and four? Because it looks prettier that way!"

"Yeah. I think I get the idea now. How about a bouquet of lilies?"

She gasped. "No! They're too fragrant for a get-well soon. Daffodils and irises will do."

Zelda shrugged her shoulders. "You're the expert."

Farore went to a small greenhouse attached to the side of the shop and clipped beautiful pink irises and golden daffodils. "There's some cards near the entrance. You can browse them while you wait," she said as leaves fell to the floor. She then proceeded to a small table behind the counter and began arranging.

Zelda walked to the stand and looked at the hand-crafted cards. A picture of two bears, one dressed in a suit and the other in a wedding veil, holding hands. Above them was a silly pun of bears getting married. She chuckled to herself at the cheesiness of it. But the humour drained as a memory emerged.

"Zelda, when are you getting married?" her mother asked. It was Christmas, and the entire family were having dinner beneath a gold and diamond chandelier. They sat in the formal dining room where everyone was dressed in suits and glittering dresses. Ugly Christmas sweaters were banned from the Nohansen mansion.

Stunned, Zelda dropped her fork away from her mouth. The fork unfortunately held a piece of turkey soaked in gravy. It fell onto her cream dress. She was too surprised to notice or care.

Damien, who sat to her right, spoke up. "I would like to marry your daughter sometime soon," he proclaimed.

Zelda interrupted. "Marriage can wait."

And that's when her relationship with Damien and her family went downhill. They pressured her to marry. She refused. As a result, Damien constantly called her and arranged dates in order to swoon her heart in the hopes of settling down. To say the least, it didn't work. She was annoyed when he called at the worst possible times. Her mother never looked at her the same and a sad look was in her father's eyes whenever she met them at get-togethers. But she never broke away from Damien. He was a nice guy. It pained her to break his heart, and she hoped he would eventually find a new woman to marry. A woman who deserved someone as caring and overbearing as Damien. He'd flatter her with roses, jewelry and chocolates, never miss a date and always remember their anniversary, her birthday, her family's birthday. What girl wouldn't want that?

"All ready, ma'am." Farore's voice broke Zelda out of her stupor.

She hurriedly grabbed a card with sunflowers and cursive writing beneath the Get Well Soon section.

"How much will it be?" she asked as she plopped the card down onto the counter.

"Sixty dollars."

After paying, Zelda walked promptly to the hospital. She greeted the man at the desk and asked for Ilia.

"Sorry. She isn't requesting any visitors," the man replied. "However, I can take those from you." He reached for the flowers.

"Thank you." She handed them to him and smiled. "Has Midna been around here?"

"Oh! The red-headed girl? Yeah. She's been waiting outside your friend's room."

"Thank you, again. Have a good one." She went to the vending machine while texting Midna.

_Where are you? At the hospital._

_ Outside room 221. Visitor hours are almost over, so hurry!_

It took her a while to find the right door, but once she crossed a hall with a wild red-headed girl lounging around, she immediately knew she found the right place. It was hard not to notice Midna's unique persona.

"Midna!"

"Zel, you're here! Wonderful."

"Umm, I just wanted to know, but why did you ask me to come here?"

"This," Midna said, shoving a crumpled rose into her hands.

"What's this?" She examined it and winced as her finger got cut by a thorn.

"Just wondering if you could put it in the…hey, where's the flowers?"

Zelda shrugged her shoulders. "I gave it to the guy at the front desk."

"Oh. Can you get a glass or something? Ilia's been very fond of this rose and I want her to see it once she wakes up."

"Sure."

When she arrived back with a glass from the cafeteria, Midna hurriedly grabbed it out of her hands and whispered fiercely: "She's awake now! And she'll probably have a break down if she sees you, so go!"

Zelda was stunned and shocked. Why would Ilia have a break down over _her? _Sure, she may have stolen the honorary title of environmental president, but was that really grudge worthy?

"Wha—?"

Midna shoved her shoulder. "Go!"

Without another word, she left.

.

Zelda woke up on Friday feeling like an idiot. She remembered scheduling a coffee chat with Link without actually telling him where to meet. And she didn't even ask for his number! She stuffed her face into her hands, sighing.

As she got dressed, her phone began to ring. Maybe Midna sent him her number? She dashed to it and snatched it off the dresser before the call ended.

"Hello?"

"Zelda, hey."

"Oh. Hi, Damien."

"Why do you sound so disappointed?"

"I'm not disappointed."

"Yeah. Okay. Anyway, wanna get some breakfast at Lulu's?"

Zelda wasn't a great liar. She hated deceiving people, but she blurted and blushed as she fabricated a lie on the spot. "Uh, gee, Damien. I don't know. The eggs there are getting a bit yucky."

"Yucky?"

"Yeah."

"Last time we went, you devoured it like a hog."

She grimaced. "Thanks for the compliment. Listen, I gotta go study. See you later." She hung up the phone before he could respond. She absolutely _knew _he wouldn't contact her for another two hours.

Then she realized she was supposed to tell him about Ilia.

_Go see Ilia at Castleton Hospital, room 221. She wants to see you. _She found herself typing. Within seconds, she saw him view the text message. But he didn't respond. After she took a shower, she checked the message again. He still didn't respond.

With a sigh, she walked into the kitchen. To her surprise, Damien's bouquet of red roses was there. Last time she remembered, he walked out with them and was certain he threw them into a dumpster. But he forgave her neglect and redeemed his fiery behaviour by sneaking into her apartment and placing them there for her. She smiled. What a sweet man!

She stared at the vase for a long time, amazed that he even put water in it. But something looked a little off-putting. She picked a rose up and examined it. The texture was smooth and familiar, the thorns weren't cut, and the rose was a deep red.

She dropped it.

These roses were the same as Ilia's crumpled one! Were the two romantically involved. She shook her head. _No. Damien would _never _cheat on his significant other. _

But why would Ilia ask for him? Why was he silent when she asked him to see Ilia? And why did Ilia have a red rose eerily familiar to her bouquet?

_Every florist knows that for flowers they always have to be odd._

She felt silly for doing such a thing, but she counted each rose. She took them out of the pot one by one and eventually she reached a number with panic.

_Forty-eight. _

Hurriedly, she went to see Midna. She knew she worked in the mornings at Café Clair de Lune. She knew she was friends and roommates with Ilia, that she knew Damien and disliked him for a reason. Could that reason be because he was a cheater? She wanted to know, yet didn't want to know at the same time.

To be deceived was ironic. Zelda always thought she saw passed deceit, but to be deceived by her own boyfriend proved she may have been fooling herself this whole time.

It took her five minutes to drive there, five minutes of anticipation eating her alive. She nearly dashed though the doors.

"Hey, Mindna—" she started, but was surprised to see Link sitting there, holding hands with her. She suddenly felt rude for breaking such an intimate moment between them. They were obviously discussing something private, and she intruded on them. She stood there, gawking at them.

"Zelda, hey." Midna broke the awkward silence. "How's it going?"

"Link!" she said suddenly, finally breaking free of her frozen position. _What are you doing here? _She wanted to ask. Instead she blurted out something meant for Midna's ears only. "Tell me now. Is it true? Is it true that Damien is cheating on me?"

He gaped at her as she blushed at her blunder, realizing what she just said.

"She's smarter than she looks, y'know?"

* * *

><p><strong>Happy New Year! Sadly, I did not finish Resolution in time :( But have a wonderful 2015, everybody! :D<strong>


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